Predictors of changes in mental health following severe flooding in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil: harnessing the power of the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort study

ODA (Official Development Assistance) Funding for compliant projects - funding via UoB provided by Research England under the ISPF scheme.

The current research will address the welfare of the populace of Brazil, a DAC list ODA country, following exposure to an event that is highly relevant to many ODA countries - a climate related disaster. Project activities will allow us to capture the mental health impacts of such events, for the first time, in a well-characterised, representative population sample from a DAC list country. The resultant data will support the formulation of recommendations aimed at developing effective strategies for the prevention of mental health problems during extreme climate events, particularly for low-and-middle-income country youth for whom this is a growing crisis. It will contribute to the planning of public policies by enabling the prediction of necessary financial and structural resources for outpatient mental health services. Additionally, it will guide preventive strategies to minimize the impacts of extreme climate events throughout the life course, thereby improving the quality of life and future prospects for the populations of Brazil and other DAC list countries.